Bootstrap Your Website To Life!

Technology has altered everything, from the way we live to the way we do business and with expansion of E-commerce and M-commerce market globally. No doubt the demand for websites and mobile applications have increased drastically but along with this, the need to have them developed in the shortest span of time has increased even more. This is where Bootstrap comes into the picture. It is one such front end framework that facilitates creation of the front end of web sites and web applications.

What is Bootstrap?

Bootstrap is used to develop the front end of the web pages, which are compatible across browsers and cross devices that too in a very short duration of time which otherwise would be a very time consuming task. It basically contains a CSS framework which is written in LESS. It contains HTML and CSS-based design templates for typography, forms, buttons, navigation and other interface components, as well as optional JavaScript extensions. In June 2014 it was the No.1 project on GitHub with over 73,000 stars and more than 27,000 forks, and a user base that includes MSNBC and NASA.

How to bootstrap?

Bootstrap is a grid system, with a bunch of common elements. So you can lay your site out how you want, drop in simple elements like forms and tables, and get a good-looking, consistent result, without spending hours fiddling with CSS. You just need HTML.

Still wondering why to use Bootstrap?

Bootstrap can definitely bring life to a website. It offers a lot of features that are very important in developing websites and mobile apps. Following points describe the reasons to use Bootstrap.

1) Speed of Development: One of the biggest advantages of using Bootstrap is undoubtedly the speed of development. If you are looking to push out a new website or application quickly, then Bootstrap is the way to do it. The Bootstrap libraries offer readymade pieces of code that can pump life into a website. A web developer doesn’t have to spend time laboriously working out and writing code, but simply find the right piece and fit it into the structure they’re working on. In addition to this, a lot of the styling and design aspects are already taken care of through the Bootstrap Themes and Bootstrap templates.

2) Responsiveness: Creating mobile ready websites is a cakewalk with Bootstrap because of the fluid grid layout that dynamically adjusts to the proper screen resolution. There is virtually no work that needs to be done to achieve proper responsiveness. If you shift from a laptop to an iPad and from an iPad to a Mac you won’t have to fret over your work. Bootstrap adapts to the change in platforms with super speed and efficiency.

3) Consistency: Bootstrap ensures consistency regardless of who’s working on the project. In addition, results are uniform across platforms so output remains the same whether you’re using Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer.

4)Customizable: Bootstrap can be tailor made according to the specifications of your project. Developers have the ability to pick and choose the features that are needed and the rest can be tossed. This is easily accomplished using the Bootstrap customize page. All you have to do is simply tick off all the features you don’t need and your custom version of Bootstrap will be ready for download. The whole point of Bootstrap is that it lets you factor in your own needs and tailor your development project accordingly.

5)Support: Bootstrap has a huge support community behind it so you can usually get help when you run into issues. Furthermore, Bootstrap itself is being continuously updated and the creators have been really good about putting out timely updates. It’s currently being hosted, developed and maintained on GitHub with over 9,000 commits and over 500 contributors. Bootstrap is ever-evolving with updates coming out on a much more regular and constant basis. As soon as web developers find a problem, the Bootstrap team starts looking to fix it.

6)Integration: If you’re working on a site which is already live, but still trying to iron out the creases then Bootstrap can help. For instance, if you use table styling, all you need to do is take the styles you need and copy them to the CSS file you’re working with. Bootstrap will immediately kick in with its own style and all you need to do from there is link up the file you are working with or hotlink to Twitter (more or less). Integration is simple, fast and easy to accomplish and once you’re done you can play with your design to your hearts’ content.

7)Future Compatibility: Bootstrap comes equipped with many elements that are actually being considered as the future of design itself. For example both HTML5 and CSS3 are things that are going to be big in the future. Since the framework takes into account the future of design and development, it has the potential to become a yardstick for web developers in the years to come.

8)Competitiveness: Bootstrap isn’t the only one of its kind. It has been pitted against JQuery UI and the HTML5 Boilerplate, but a more realistic competitor is the Zurb Foundation. Bootstrap 2 has a toolset that the Foundation will have a tough time matching up to. Third party plugins, themes, a plethora of features, codes, etc. are already up for grabs with Bootstrap which isn’t true for the Foundation at least at this point.

Twitter Bootstrap still a mystery?

Bootstrap was developed by Mark Otto and Jacob Thornton at Twitter as a framework to encourage consistency across internal tools. Before Bootstrap, various libraries were used for interface development, which led to inconsistencies and a high maintenance burden. Bootstrap is like a candy store for developers full of a multitude of tools.
The popularity of Twitter has helped Twitter Bootstrap it cross over from the realm of user-managed social networking to a place where developers sink their teeth into heavy duty code and make the world spin as a result. The Twitter Bootstrap framework is thus the latest innovation that has hit the design and development arena, further making the creation of websites and apps easier, faster and better in general. If Twitter Bootstrap still sounds unfamiliar then there are also Twitter Bootstrap tutorials for the same which explain how Twitter Bootstrap is a sleek, intuitive, and powerful front-end framework for faster and easier web development.

There is still more

The Start Bootstrap is a library of free to download Bootstrap themes and Bootstrap templates. The themes are open source for any use. Twitter Bootstrap themes are released under the MIT License and maintained by the community on GitHub. All one has to do is download what you like and get started. The Bootstrap Themes and Bootstraps Templates could be used for any project, personal or commercial. You can also browse for more awesome Bootstrap themes at Creative Market and buy them too. WrapBootstrap is a marketplace for premium Bootstrap themes and Bootstrap templates.

Conclusion

Since its launch from early 2011 Twitter Bootstrap is growing faster than ever because of its powerful features, responsive designs, faster development and easy to use features. It is one of the most significant technical achievements of the last few years; it democratizes the whole process of web design. Moreover the Bootstrap community is becoming hugely popular. There are innumerable options of Twitter Bootstrap Themes available for free and for a price. But of course you do need at least a little working knowledge of web development concepts like HTML and CSS to get the ball rolling. The documentation that comes along with the platform can help walk you through the different tools and components you’ll be working with. What else do you need to create a lively website when everything is being served on a platter?

And for all the designers who are still not using Bootstrap; when do you intend to take a ride on the Bootstrap train? I guess it is high time.